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“The only people for me are the mad ones," she said, gleefully bittersweet, the light in her eyes dim with hope, "the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”
It was this that she could agree with. The whole damn book, filled with nothing but pretentiously inspirational quotes meant to play at the heartstrings of some teenagers going through their own would-be ends of the world. She snorted at the thought of it. Her eyes, albeit disinterested, still remained glued to the book. Even if she didn't really like reading something so seemingly banal, she refused to give up on something once she's started. That and Shay was probably going to bitch at her if she quit halfway through. Then again, it wasn't all bad. Perseverance helped at times, even if you had to trudge through some shit. Case in point - this quote. This one quote in this entire pile of literary garbage that was glued together and slapped into the leather spine of a protective yellow cover. But burn, burn and burn, eh...
All things considered, maybe this was why she was here. As her lavender gaze followed the lines of pitch black ink, her mind pondered over what had happened prior to her getting on this train to Fumehat. Heck, the whole damn reason for her being here. It had been about two months since that stupidly unfair Hunter's Dare which that old bastard Jaeger decided to throw in her face. Yazmyn, being the rebellious brat that she could be at times, took on the challenge without really thinking it through. Two days later she was already at the new Hunter Trials back in Vantalux, watching as what the city considered Hunter hopefuls trudged through mud to impress those who were older and wiser than them. In one way or another, all of them were like Claude - ambitious, driven, hard-working... yet so many of them were chasing dreams that just weren't there for the taking, imagining a life of wealth and glory without realizing that what awaited them was the constant threat of death, or even worse. It made her sick to her stomach. Some of the Hunters who were with her that day picked new trainees and gave them their coin. Yazmyn? Hers stayed in her pocket, still stained with Claude's blood that she couldn't force herself to clean off.
She sighed as she pulled out a cigarette and lit it by squeezing it between her fingers; And here she was at it again. She had visited The Wharf and Haven - neither of which had anybody who she thought was worth a damn. Nathan had begun saying that she was still blaming herself for what happened to Claude and that's why she refused to see anybody for who they were and maybe she was. Maybe she just didn't want a rerun of what happened previously, even if she had learned from her own mistakes. Yaz didn't really know what it was and she couldn't tell you even if she tried. But the one thing she did know was that... if she was going to take on a trainee, which was what the condition of the Hunter Dare that she lost dictated she would need to do, she was going to pick somebody who was... different. Someone who didn't think the world was nothing but sunshine and rainbows but understood that it was a dark and cruel place that will swallow you whole if you let it. Those people were the smart ones. The ones fit for survival. The ones fit to lead those living in dreamland.
The train wheezed and screeched as it slowly begun coming to a halt. A singular glance outside the window of the private compartment she was in made Yazmyn realize that she had all but arrived. The gloomy scenery told her as much. Storing her book in her satchel, the female Hunter stood up and began making her way along the passenger car. By the time she got to the door the train had already stopped. The conductor glanced at her, clearly feeling just as distasteful about the location as Yazmyn herself was, "Welcome to Fumehat," he said.
"Oh happy days," Yazmyn replied with no more enthusiasm than the conductor had, making the man snort and tip his cap with amusement. He opened the door for her once the train had halted fully to let the woman out and she thanked him through a simple nod. The second she was outside, Yazmyn was immediately hit by the the weird scents going around, drowning out even the taste of the nicotine on her throat. Looking worse for wear and tired out of her mind, Yazmyn pulled out her flask and took a large swig, "If this crappy place manages to actually produce someone worth looking into I'll go try out one of its mushroom-y delicacies. Ugh," she actually retched.
But beyond just being dramatic, Yazmyn quickly put her flask inside her jacket's pocket and slowly made her way towards the Enforcer checkpoint to get signed in. The reason she was in Fumehat to begin with was fairly simple - she had been through quite a few Hunter Trials already, none of which provided her with a candidate she found even remotely satisfying. The Trials within Fumehat were up next, starting up tomorrow, and Nathan - that goddamn bucket of bolts - tipped her off that supposedly someone of interest was actually going to participate. Normally she wouldn't have bothered but at this point the Huntress was getting annoyed and no way was she going to back out of a Dare.
She approached the checkpoint rather quickly, separating herself from the crowd by way of her height and, above all, her Vanta weapon which she couldn't exactly hide. The pitch black arm made her stick out like a sore thumb at times. As did the navy blue uniforms of these two stuck up Enforcers giving her the stink eye. Yazmyn showed her coin on account of being too lazy to actually pull out the legal documents - most checkpoints didn't really have a problem with that. This one did, and the two assholes quickly frisked her before asking for the documents.
"Y'all really need to get with the hospitality program. I'm a damn Hunter, touch me again and I'll rip your arms off and beat you to death with them," she explained in monotone, and as the two men gave her something to sign while ignoring her threat, all Yazmyn did was 'sign' it by putting her cigarette out on it. Aside a light glare, that was received well enough. They weren't supposed to frisk her in the first place and if she wanted to she could've bitched about it to their commanding officer and get them some fines. Good times being a Hunter. Good times.
Looking around, Yazmyn found the nearest signpost that pointed towards Glowcap in the hopes of finding some pub with a room she could rent for a night.
"Oh happy days indeed."
WC: 1207
Last Edit: Nov 16, 2019 17:07:48 GMT by Yazmyn Noir
Post by Riina de Bastille on Nov 16, 2019 20:00:59 GMT
WORD COUNT: 1018
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
Target had been acquired. There could be almost no doubt. An oversized blonde with an air of arrogance to her. An air of superiority. An air of being annoyed. The description which the raven haired feline had received from the man she only knew as Jaeger, was far too accurate to even make any sense. Even the notion that the blonde had pent up aggression and would likely dull her emotions or frustrations in alcohol became evident within a few moments of the individual stepping off the train onto the platform. It also, however, rose the girl's suspicions... About a week ago, maybe two, Riina wasn't entirely sure on the precise date, an old acquaintance had been around the city of Fumehat. They had met as he had come to the bar where Riina typically worked, gathered information, stayed to keep warm. It was somewhat her little turf, where he had known he could find her. With his smug ass attitude, it hadn't been difficult to get out of him, that the reason he had been there, had something to do with the ever infamous Hunter trials. They occured every once in a while, a couple of times a year, dispersed at different times through each of the cities, supposedly. Riina had a tough time imagining Haven giving a rat's ass about Hunters, so perhaps that particular city was exempt. Either way, he'd be here for the next couple of weeks for that purpose.
It honestly hadn't initially interested Riina all that much. The few times that the girl had, in the past, attempted to take those exams, it had always turned into a shitshow. The other hopefuls of Fumehat already somewhat knew of her reputation. When in a competition to showcase one's skill and survival instincts and a large part of said competition wished to see you fail, passing had become almost an impossibility. Still, Jaeger had been speaking of the whole thing rather warmly. Riina had somewhat cut the man off, stating that she'd rather earn some extra cash than face another disappointment. Perhaps her attitude is what caught Jaeger's attention, as he, with a valiant, enthusiastic and way too dramatic tone - like a conartist trying to convince someone to buy sand in sahara - the bucket of metal bolts had offered her one such job. The real reason he had told her of the hunter exam, as he now explained, was that he wanted a specific Hunter's coin, and was willing to pay good money to have it. Good money, because stealing the coin and getting away unseen would take a large amount of skill. On top of that, he'd offer her a favor. Bringing her outside the walls for one of his adventures. Letting her experience the wilds one more time. Shaking her head at him, Riina couldn't help but make a mental notion that, people were just as simple to deal with as beasts, if one knew how to view them as animals. Yet this was one of the few times that she had the chance to get outside. One of the few times she got to experience the freedom of not being locked inside the cities. So, egged on by her curiosity and desire for freedom, Riina had accepted this little 'less than lawful' side job.
The yellow eyes watched as the blonde stepped across the platform. Riina mirrored the movements, waiting for the opportune moment to begin the operation. Operation drunk blonde's money. As Riina had aptly named her little undertaking. When the blonde reached the city proper and was stopped by the enforcers to be processed, Riina made sure that she had been seen darting between people, talking to them. In essence, she had been briefly introducing the bar to people, yet doing it so poorly that they simply shook their heads. It was part of making sure she'd be able to move on to the next person. Making it seem like she had only approached the blonde because she was next in line, rather than being someone she had been looking to speak to directly. A veil to hide her real intentions. Stepping up to the blonde, just as the enforcers were done doing their business, she had left no time for anyone else to contact the blonde first. Riina attempted to use all the information she had to make sure that Yaz would follow her. "Greetings miss Huntress, welcome to Fumehat. It is my pleasure..." Riina let out an audible sigh, shaking her head from side to side as her demeanor changed to seem more.. natural than desperate, indicating that the approach she had just portrayed hadn't worked for any of the other patrons either. "...Look if you want a place to stay for the Hunter exams, where you can drink, eat and stay warm, I'll show you the town's best place for a few coins. Deal, no deal?" This introduction was based on a simple presupposition. This blonde seemed to be one that liked things directly, without any bullshit. So, Riina intentionally made it seem like she, herself, was fed up with all the bullshit of today, cutting the bullshit and just being openly honest and straight to the point, all to get the blonde's attention.
If it worked, Riina would simply begin guiding the blonde through the city towards the bar that was her turf. If not, then she'd have to cook up another plan. Perhaps going for a more direct route in stealing the coin through simple pickpocketing...?
Once the blonde got to inspect the girl, it would be exceedingly obvious that she was a resident of Fumehat. Riina was dirtier than anyone else around the train station. The clothes had several patches sewn onto it and one could only wonder how she had managed to keep the cloth from falling apart. The yellow feline eyes, the cat ears on top of her head which pointed directly at Yazmyn, as if she was a radar honing in on a submarine. Riina was also excruciatingly slim, though, all things considered, seemed fairly fit.
Fumehat. Fumehat Fumehat Fumehat. She didn't know what she did to piss any of the known Gods off, but whichever one of them thought putting Jaeger up to this shit was a good idea could go screw himself. She sincerely wished one, two, or fifty of his or her shrines burned. Served the asshole right. The girl sighed as she walked around some people, hating this whole situation that she had found herself in. If Jaeger was so adamant about her getting another trainee, why couldn't he just save her the trouble of attending so many of those damnable Hunter Trials and just pick one for him? All he had to do was find someone semi-adequate, give them her coin and tell them her address back in Vantalux. That's it. That's all it took. But nooooooo, the guy wanted to be cheeky and make her move around the country a little, almost as though she didn't have anything better to do than rot behind walls again.
The Huntress yawned into her open palm, finally starting to miss the feeling of doing what she wanted in the Outlands. These past couple of months had been a little shit what with her having to stay in and look for someone to train. Then again she did manage to get some odd jobs done for the city folk and earn her some extra cash. Money was good these days - at least that was something of a plus. And when she heard the voice calling out to her, she was somewhat glad she had money to spare.
Glancing down, a little surprised, Yazmyn was met by... quite a sight, if she were to be honest. Sad in many ways, kinda cute in others. She noticed her kitty ears before anything else. God those things were adorable. Then the glossy dark hair, surprisingly well kept as opposed to her clothing, and then her deep citrus eyes. What a pretty kitten, she thought. Poor thing looks like she hasn't eaten properly in a while though.
"Evenin' lass," Yazmyn greeted back, offering a short nod to accompany her words. Despite the shift in demeanor the girl did seem pretty desperate, all things considered. Oh? She knows exactly why I'm here, exactly what I want and exactly how I want it. What, pray tell, may this olive branch be? An apology from the Gods? Hah, fuck 'em. Yazmyn pondered over the girl's offer for a few brief moments before shrugging. Shoving a hand into her pocket, she pulled out one gold coin and tossed it to the feline.
"Please, lead the way," Yazmyn would say, and as Riina walked she'd follow not too far behind.
For some people, cities represented hope. Peace. The chance for prosperity. Especially in these times where monsters were rampaging about outside the walls that so many people held sacred. In Yazmyn's case? Nah. She hated the cities. Not what they were but what they stood for. Sure, they gave respite. But at the same time they imprisoned. This idea that humanity can only survive behind walls as big as their own ego was false bravado and just flat out wrong. No, humans could live outside the walls, whether they were Emes or not didn't matter. Sure, shit didn't always go as planned - she was a living breathing example of this. But she's heard of settlements outside the walls that had survived for decades.
God she wanted to go back out there. Feel the wind at her back and watch the sun set over the horizon on top of some hill with nothing but her flask and some monster she caught and cooked for dinner. Freedom. She missed that.
Her eyes glazed around the city. From person to person, stall to stall, shop to shop. Fumehat wasn't the best of places and it could be seen fairly well even on the faces of the people living there. They were happy, in many ways, content in many others, but it wasn't anything even close to what Haven was like. Hell, even Vantalux had its own flair that she wouldn't give up for this place, even if Glowcap seemed like a pretty nice place in hindsight. Then again, Yazmyn's vision didn't stop at the shops and the people. No, something that made her a good Hunter was her eye for detail and her paranoia. In her mind, Yazmyn was already reconstructing the map she had seen prior in her head and adding certain details to it. Vantage points, possible shortcuts, hiding areas - anything and everything worth of note for both mobility, espionage, and a wide array of other things was slowly being stored in her mind's eye, filling up the map she had mentally with a legend of all sorts of things.
Until, of course, they reached the bar that the kitten was leading her to. Oddly silent, this one. Not that Yazmyn really minded. She was tired and irritated; the Epilogue was being even more of a bitch than it usually was and Yazmyn couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the air pressure around this place. Sleeping was going to be hard too as a result, which was quite a bitch to even think about. Yeah. This bar came at just the right time. She really did feel like she could've used a drink or two... or eight.
"Home sweet home, eh?" Yazmyn voiced as she glanced at the place, looking it up and down... her mind already doing its thing but at the same time admiring the decor. While not extravagant in any way shape or form, it still had its own way of making you feel cozy, she supposed. "Mind if I ask you for some food and what drinks you got on the menu?" Yaz then asked, glancing at Riina. "Oh, wait. Here," she tossed the girl another gold coin. "Seriously, I'm famished. Anything? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Hefting her satchel over her shoulder, Yaz offered the feline a wide grin. She was actually feeling like she'd be able to eat a damn horse.
Post by Riina de Bastille on Nov 17, 2019 6:58:18 GMT
WORD COUNT: 1009
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
The approach had been successful. The blonde had no indication that there was anything special about this little meeting. So, without risking saying or doing anything that would arouse suspicion, Riina focussed entirely on doing the job that she had inadvertedly acquiring herself. The gold coin had been eyed with a surprised expression. It was more than Riina had expected to be given for simply offering a guided tour through the city, to get to a place where this silly, odd blonde could get herself something to eat and drink. Weaving through the crowd with expertise, they were making their way deeper into the city. Or perhaps it was more apt to say, deeper into the swamp. The solid construction soon gave way for wooden bridges, leading up into trees. The ground was soon further and further beneath their feet. Even sooner, it was replaced with the roots of enormous trees, vines and murky swamp waters. A fall from one of these bridges and getting back up would in itself be an experience. It wasn't entirely uncommon that people drowned in the murky waters below. For a native to the city however, the shortcuts and routes back to safety were relatively easy to remember. A few countermeasures to people drowning had been taken, and those with keen eyes would find small planks hammered into the trees, essentially functioning as makeshift ladders to allow an ascent from the swamp below. Even so, these ladders were not in position everywhere, only around traffic hotspots.
Before long, they arrived at Glowcap proper. The enormous part of the city which was built directly into a tree, carved into the wood of an ungodly large wooden construct. The light here was, due to the tightness of the foliage, the main light source down here were the glowing mushrooms which had given this part of the city it's name. Cutting through the people, Riina skipped out on the largest inns and gatherings. Instead heading for a more secluded part of the area, where Yaz would be introduced to The Sinking Banshee, a small and uninteresting little two story bar. On the top floor were a few rooms for rent. Downstairs however, was the bar, connecting to the kitchen with an appropriate sized basement. Upon entering, Riina gave a short greeting to one of the older men. A fatso, who seemed to be the one actually owning the establishment. Doing no work, simply going around looking at his property, hiring the cheapest help he could find. There was a soft comment from him; Don't just go wandering off to find customers, we're busy enough as is! The tone in which he spoke made it very clear. Riina was not super appreciated here, and she would be unlikely to receive any significant pay for her work. Even so, it was a place in which she could keep warm and earn enough to get food and shelter. Precisely what any girl would want, right?
The bar itself was unlike anything you'd find in other cities. The lighting in here was very damp and dark. The mushrooms having slightly different hues, creating the background lighting for the candles and lanterns strewn across the place. Some might've expected open flame on a giant tree to be a fire hazard, but the swamp itself was so damp and moist that flame had a really tough time getting going in anything. "Not exactly where I live, but I suppose Glowcap is an alright place to live." Riina commented stiffly to the question posed by Yaz. It was the only real way to respond. Regardless of how nice she had it here, at times, it never got close to the mansion she lived in, in Haven, as a kid. The yellow eyes rested on Yaz for a brief moment, as the blonde began uttering a request for booze and food. Perfect.
"Uh, sure. I can sort you something. It'll be a little simple, but our chef's overbooked. Excuse me for a moment, your order will be right up. Do be aware our alcohol kicks like a mule." With that little heads up warning, Riina picked up an apron from behind the bar. First, the girl poured the blonde a glass of alcohol. Honey mead with a little bit of Glowcap love. Adding a slight bit of spice, spiking the drink to give it a little extra kick, Riina was aiming to get the blonde to drink two, maybe three of these. After that, grabbing the coin would be child's play. Walking over with the glass, a wooden mug, Riina then headed directly for the kitchen, beginning to cook some stuff together. Diced potatoes, onions, carrots, some sloppy bits of bacon and cubed meats. Adding a slight bit of beef-stock broth once the ingredients were fairly well roasted, Riina stepped over to the blonde's table, placing the little bowl of impromptu soup before her. "That'll be... twenty two silver. I'll just detract it from the gold you already gave me. I'll do the same with any more mead you order, so don't worry about additional pay. Name's Riina, I hope you enjoy!"
With that, the raven haired kitten scurried off to talk to other customers around the bar. Most of them seemed to be regular... None of them spoke to her very nicely. Still, the kitten seemed undeterred, for whatever reason. Doing her best to keep up with the demands, while a single other worker appeared in and out of the kitchen. An older woman, easily old enough to be a great-grandmother, manning the kitchen and selling booze. A woman who needed help keeping this place running. If the owner had actually bothered to find someone competent, the joint was probably small enough to be run by a singular competent worker. Instead he had picked the kitten, who could be bossed to run around for almost no pay. An old woman who probably had no other way to survive than accept his bullying. Guess thats the life of a cheapskate and a side-effect of politics.
A small grin painted Yazmyn's face as the little kitten replied an affirmative. Great, finally some damn food. She couldn't get herself a proper meal back in Vantalux and the train had nothing but shitty snacks that didn't really do anything for you. The Huntress was famished, especially with how her Vel worked. Damn thing always made her hungry. Don't even get her started on when she actually starts using it. Made her feel like she hadn't eaten for days if she used it a bit too much. Last time that happened she ended up cooking and eating one of those damn land sharks after killing it for a bounty. Strange times we live in.
In any case, the blonde Hunter in question took a seat at one of the tables and nodded to the cat-girl. Her eyes glazed around the pub, mind doing its thing without Yazmyn really even realizing it. It had become so second-nature by this point. Not a bad thing to have, of course. Push comes to shove she'd be able to either use the area to her advantage or retreat as effectively and quickly as possible. She was also inspecting the interior of the pub, noting that while it indeed wasn't the most extravagant of places, it held a form of comfort all on its own accord. Yazmyn couldn't really place it into words, to be honest, but it was simple places like this that she liked frequenting back in Vantalux too.
Hell if she wanted fancy and extravagant she'd go to Haven. That place was like an actual haven all on its own.
When the kitty-cat then returned, Yazmyn glanced at the food brought before her. It wasn't exactly anything special - something that a kid could probably prepare, if she were to be painfully honest - but it still managed to get a smile out of her. Seemed that the girl - Riina, cute name, - ended up making it by herself. Not like Yaz was going to shit on her effort, even if she wasn't feeling the most accommodating nowadays. Regardless of what she said, the Huntress pulled out another gold coin out of her pocket and flicked it towards the raven-haired lass.
"Sure. Consider that a tip. Food looks and smells great," with that being said, Yaz dug into the soup. Surprisingly enough the Huntress was very well mannered despite her natural demeanor and, well... how she was raised. Being stuck in a cage for the better part of your life did quite poorly in terms of teaching you societal norms but, well. Yazmyn liked books, as showcased by how she pulled one out to read while she ate, and through books is how she learned how society functions. The rules, norms, and expectations of both common class citizens, nobles, and royalty. Heck, she was even able to figure out the inner workings of the Government - even the more shadier bits, but the source of that information should probably remain undisclosed.
The soup was warm, nice. Definitely something she could enjoy. Yazmyn wasn't really picky when it came to food either, but this hit the spot just right. Some warm food and a mug of mead to keep her going. With any luck the booze would help her arm out a little. The deeper she got into Fumehat the more it started to ache. Nothing excruciating, mind you - Yazmyn's pain tolerance was enough to kill anything like that by this point. But it was still a pretty annoying thing to deal with. Alcohol tended to numb that pain a little, and boy did she like to indulge in pain-numbing activities. That and alcohol made her think a little more clearly, as unbelievable as it sounded.
When Yazmyn was done with her food, she smiled contently as she leaned back in her chair, enjoying the feeling of the warm soup swimming around in her stomach. That definitely breathed some color back into the girl's rather pale face. Eyes rising, she noticed Riina chatting up some customers then going back to working at the bar where she also noticed an old woman, looking a little worse for wear. The blonde imagined that working at a place like this wasn't exactly an ideal situation considering, well... she assumed the guy she noticed before was the owner and that guy looked like a pompous douche. She shook her head ever so slightly; no rest for the service sector, especially not in these parts.
Sitting up straight for a brief moment, Yazmyn's healthy left hand landed on her shoulder, a small yet deep scar escaping from her jacket's sleeve. She groaned a little as she rotated her metal arm, trying to get the kinks out. The damn thing was heavy and the Huntress still hadn't really gotten used to the difference in her body's balance that happened as a result. She crossed her legs and leaned back again, placing the book in her lap. Lavender eyes once again returned to the black ink sprawled out on paper in neat lines that told, while a mundane, still an interesting story of its own. Occasionally she'd grab the pint of mead and take a small sip - it was a strange flavor, one she hadn't really tasted before, but it wasn't exactly unwelcome. The relaxing effect it had on her was almost immediate and she couldn't exactly came that she didn't like it. Maybe her evening wasn't going to bad as she thought it'd be...
...if only she knew.
Though the Hunter trials still kept gnawing at her in the back of her head. She really couldn't help but wonder what kind of would-be Hunters a backwater like Fumehat could produce. The people here seemed like a hardy bunch, sure - having to trudge through swamps and all kinds of other shit undoubtedly gave them some form of adaptation skills that would probably help out there in the Outlands. Then again, most Hunter hopefuls, as she couldn't help but realize, all had this dream of grandeur. Like life outside the walls was something so amazing nobody would even want to turn back. Yazmyn was a case like this, of course, but at the same time the Huntress realized how dangerous life outside the protection of the cities was. One wrong step could get you and the people with you killed. One wrong decision. One wrong thought. A simple hesitation was enough for the beasts prowling out there to get you, and even then they weren't the main threat. Humanity was always the main threat, and boy were the people outside the walls as dangerous as the beasts themselves. Operatives, Mercenaries... even Scavengers in their own right would strip you down to parts and take everything you're worth from you. She couldn't even recount how many times some lowly band of Scavengers tried to cut her right arm off and sell it for parts... not that she'd ever let them. Human barbecue didn't exactly smell nice but it was often the result of stuff like that happening.
Though, honestly? Yazmyn hoped she could find someone who thought along similar lines as she did. Not only would it make her life a helluva lot easier, it would mean that there were similar-minded people to herself. People who believed that being cooped up in a set of hard walls wasn't the way to live. People who knew that humanity needed to take back what was theirs. And, at this point? That was the whole world.
Post by Riina de Bastille on Nov 18, 2019 1:21:12 GMT
WORD COUNT: 736
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
Offering a chuckle, Riina shook her head at the comment. "I'm certain you've had significantly better. This is, afterall, Fumehat... but it's good enough to get by." Riina offered a knowing smile, well aware that her cooking was rudimentary at best. At the same time, the raven haired feline didn't need to be able to do much more than that. When travellers came in here, they'd usually settle for anything that wasn't dangerous to their health or otherwise poisoned. A few moments passed, with Riina having disappeared to the kitchen, before coming back with a freshly baked garlic bread baguette on a wooden tray. Placing it by the blonde, she gave a nudge with her head to indicate that she was talking about the bread. "This, however, is a little different. Fumehat may not be the best for regular cuisine, but we sure do have some great herbs. Bon appetit." It was only for a brief moment. The briefest of brief moments. Yet, Riina had just accidentally revealed that she was more mannered and competent in social gatherings than the average street urchin. There was an odd gracefulness to her that seemed out of place. Though, only those with paranoid minds would even remotely catch it. To most, it wouldn't have been noticeable.
Riina was darting around the little bar like someone had lit a fire under her behind. There were, due to the exams and trials, far more individuals around than there'd usually be. Keeping track of individual orders, offering good enough service that she wouldn't be clandered for it, all the while keeping an eye on the blonde that had happily ingested the spiked drink. Seeing as her face hadn't hit the table, Riina bit her lower lip. A spiked drink would usually have more effect than what she was witnessing. Perhaps a testament to the fact that this blonde had a tendency to drink quite a bit. Even so, even an alcoholic usually gave more of a response. The next mug would be spiked to the point where it could knock out a horse. Hopefully that'd do the trick, without poisoning the blonde. All Riina wanted was the coin that she had been hired to acquire. The money, the clothes, the life. None of the other things interested her. As soon as Riina found the chance to, she came back to the blonde's table with another drink. This time it had a more golden shine than yellow. "This one's malt. Sorry, ran out of honey mead." Riina said in an as matter of fact tone as she could. While it was true that they were running low on all kinds of stuff in the kitchen, the main reason to switch to malt, was to hide the slightly bitter taste of the spices which she used to spike the drink. As soon as the mug was placed, Riina was off again. Though, it seemed to be slowing down some. As most now had something at their table, she got to spend a few moments talking with the older lady behind the desk. Showing off the three gold coins that she had earned, there was a clear few moments of jealousy. Then, the old lady pulled forth her own tips for the day. The feline and the grandma piled it all into a pool and split it evenly. Like partners in crime.
Now, all Riina had to do, was wait for the blonde to hit the deck, or alternatively be too groggy to react or realize what was going on. On occasion, the yellow feline eyes glanced over to the table. Soon it would be time to move in for the kill. Riina's eyes allowed her to figure out precisely where the coin was, prior to moving in. There wasn't a need to search the blonde's body to find it. So to anyone else in the bar, Riina could very easily make it seem like a simple checkup on a drunk patron. A few more minutes and it would be checkmate. From there, her general livelihood would be great for at least a month. In addition to that, she'd have a rare opportunity to sate her curiosity in regards to what was outside the walls. The blonde simply had to pass out and it would all belong to Riina...
Let's unwrite these pages And replace them with our own words
For better or worse Yazmyn could definitely say that she was somewhat enjoying herself. While Fumehat definitely wasn't at all on her list of favorite places to visit - in part because of the air pressure causing her arm nightmares - the visit to this little place out of prying eyes was honestly something that she could find herself enjoying. Frankly she had expected to be wandering around Fumehat a little in search of a secluded place to rest after that whole train ride but luckily this little kitten by the name of Riina managed to keep her from wasting her own time. That was probably why she gave her a total of three gold coins to begin with. That, and, well... the girl could probably use a new set of clothes. Her heart went out to the feline - seeing her like that made her seem like a poor alley cat and considering how cute she was, she definitely didn't deserve that.
The opinion the blonde Huntress had of Riina climbed even higher when she saw her sharing the tip with the old lady behind the bar. From the corner of her eye, the Huntress saw how she interacted with the older employee and how they spoke to one another. A small smile made its way to the blonde's lips; kind girl, especially considering her circumstances. Not many like her, was the first impression she had, anyway. This was why Yazmyn held out on giving her opinions on people from the get-go. If she went by looks alone Riina would've seemed like nothing more than an unfortunate street urchin. Now it seemed like the girl was simply wronged by life in far too many ways, exactly like so many others... exactly like she was, just Yazmyn's own case was probably a more severe one. You could never tell just by looking at the cover of a book.
Speaking of books, it was gradually getting a little too hard to read. It was true that food and some alcohol could get someone groggy but was the Huntress really this exhausted? It was true that she was struggling with sleep but that was a common occurrence Yazmyn had learn to tolerate, especially in the Outlands. Huh. Her vision was getting a little shaky at this point but she managed to focus through it, shaking her head and rubbing her eyes to get the cobwebs out. The girl yawned lightly as Riina walked up to her again, this time with another mug of alcohol. She smiled and nodded her thanks, "I appreciate it, Riina. My name's Yazmyn, by the way. Was rude of me not to introduce myself. And that's alright. I'm sure it'll be great."
Then again, despite saying that, Yazmyn was a little... well, she couldn't exactly put it into words, but it felt like something was off with the whole situation. She didn't want to seem paranoid but her internal sensors were lightly gnawing at her. A dirty kitten appearing right in front of her the second she came to Fumehat, offering her what she was looking for while admitting that she knew Yazmyn's reason for being in Fumehat to begin with? It seemed a little too good to be true, especially given the fact that the service just kept coming. Not many places would just bring you a drink without you asking when they had more people to serve. Yazmyn's logical mind reasoned that it was because of the sizeable tip she gave - maybe they were just trying to get her to cough up more gold. That was a reasonable assumption. But then again...
The second Yazmyn took another large swig of the malt, she noticed the stark difference in taste. This was unlike and mead she had tried before and the taste felt like it was slapping her across the face a little too well. The pain in her side had all but subsided several seconds after she drank it - no way did this place had alcohol this strong, let alone it being mead. The concoction hit her like a freight train and she could feel her body getting number. What... the... fu-... the book fell out of her lap as she tried to get up yet her body wouldn't budge beyond a weak tug. The mug that she held in her hand fell to the ground after the Huntress lost control of her limb, spilling the dark liquid on the floor. She was still leaning against the chair with her head now hunched down, eyes closed... she was knocked out almost immediately after the liquid entered her system, yet... some part of her was still on high alert. The paranoia kicked in enough to keep her from fully losing consciousness.
This meant two things. Yazmyn, while knocked out, was still semi-awake. She was still alert to what was going on around her but it felt like everything was blurry, in slow motion. Her mind was fighting the effects of whatever the hell was in that drink but her body was unable to do anything about it. Her vision went from black to active, as was her mind. If touched, Yazmyn would likely retaliate but it wouldn't be anything more than her body groggily pushing back. Fuck, she was vulnerable and her heart rate - despite being suppressed by the spike drink - was slowly beginning to climb higher.
This drug wouldn't affect her for too long... but should some kitty cat try to steal something from her, they would very likely succeed. It was very likely that the Huntress would try to stop them but considering the state she was in it would be a moot effort. The best thing she could do was grab her assailant, yet the grip would be so weak it would be child's play to get out. She needed something to jolt herself awake with. Danger. A threat. Something that would get the adrenaline going and equalize the bullshit that was going on in her body.
Remember feeling welcomed in Fumehat? Yeah, she didn't either.
Post by Riina de Bastille on Nov 18, 2019 15:57:16 GMT
WORD COUNT: 1176
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
The alcohol was finally starting to take hold on the blonde, who moments prior had introduced herself. This whole thing was kind of messing with the girl, honestly. The blonde seemed so genuinely relaxed. So genuinely pleased with what had happened. Likely expecting the worst from Fumehat, considering all the rumors that existed about this place, undoubtedly, in the other cities. Then a name had been given, a warm smile, the respect that Riina so often craved yet so rarely received. This would've been much easier for the raven haired feline, if the blonde had just remained a face without a name. Or alternatively, if the blonde had been nothing more than a crude, rude piece of shit. Inwardly, Riina drew a short sigh of relief when Yazmyn flopped onto the table. At least that meant it wouldn't get any worse with the moral standing than it already was. It wouldn't evolve any further than it already had. Outwardly, the girl was quick on her feet to move over across the floor of the bar, step step step, catching the drink before it splattered all over the floor, also offering a little support to keep Yazmyn in her seat. "Whoa there, Yazmyn. Had a little too much to drink..? I did warn you that it would kick like a mule." Riina spoke in a soft, gentle and caring tone. "Alright then, lets get you to bed. You'll have slept it off by morning." Bowing herself down, she lifted Yaz's hand over her own shoulders, heaved with her legs and managed to get the blonde into a situation where she could drag the significantly heavier blonde across the floor. Even though Riina wasn't outright lifting Yazmyn, the blonde was still significantly heavier than Riina was, and the girl wasn't exactly physically strong...
The others in the bar were laughing at the scene, not expecting any kind of foul play. It wasn't uncommon for individuals foreign to Fumehat to get a little too happy on powerful ale and knock themselves out. Riina was playing into that fact fully, by acting, openly, like she had expected this to happen the moment she had given Yaz some stronger alcohol. It was all coming together perfectly. Dragging Yaz to one of the rooms, Riina placed the blonde onto the bed and groaned loudly. "By the goddess you're heavy. Do you eat lead or something? Ugh.." Stretching herself, Riina sighed. Scratching her hair, the girl wasn't still entirely sure what she wanted to do. That nagging feeling of knowing you were doing something wrong was burning in her stomach. That bucket of bolts had been quite nice to Riina, though it was clear to her that he wasn't exactly a good person. This here blonde on the other hand, was nicer, and seemed like a good person. Well, a good person that seemed to get herself in trouble over doing what she believed was right. Fuck the system, I am my own queen. Chuckling, Riina had seen quite a few of those personalities. It was that exact arrogance that made them easier prey. Riina, unable to come up with a decision, started simply treating Yaz to proper care.
The pillow underneath the blonde's head was pufed and fluffed, her head gently raised and lowered onto the softness. The boots were carefully unleashed, oh god the stink, ewww, and placed by the bedside where Yaz could find it in the morning. Then finally, the blanket was raised to waist height, where Riina ceased. Exactly what was more important to the raven haired female. Being a good person to someone that treated the feline well, or being greedy with her own desires and ambitions, to a person or robot, or whatever the hell she should refer to that bucket of bolts as, whom she wasn't entirely sure she could even trust..? So Riina began arguing with herself in front of the blonde. Absolutely certain that she was knocked out cold. A horse would be, so how wouldn't a human be?! "Well, if I get the bucket of bolts the coin and he doesn't pay up as promised, I could always ally with the blonde and go kick his ass, saying I was threathened and forced to do it... but that still kind of makes me a bad person?" Biting her lip, she leaned in over Yaz, deliberating. The feline eyes darting up and down the numb body. "...but not taking the coin would remove any chance I have. Besides, how much could a coin be worth?... If she can give me three gold pieces, what more is a simple, old rusted coin..?" The more Riina thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed to take the coin. Heck, with the job that Yazmyn had, with the Vanta weapon she carried, with the gold she had on her person, she could probably acquire another coin..
So Riina pilfered the coin from the blonde's body. It was a swift motion, hardly intrusive at all, hardly something that a person who was awake and fully conscious would feel. Riina had stolen many things in her life. Mostly by pickpocketing. In fact, among the other urchins, she had quite a reputation for always finding the biggest prizes in people's pockets. No one knew that her Vel assisted her in finding the juiciest catches. Raising the coin into the light, her eyes narrowed. It was stained in blood. Very, very old blood even. It had caked, some of it becoming so dry it had likely crumbled off. Yuck. This thing absolutely needed to be cleansed. Why the blonde was carrying around an ancient coin caked in blood was a mystery to the feline. Why the bucket of bolts was interested in yet, let alone knew that the blonde was carrying it around, an even bigger mystery. Shuddering at the tought, Riina slowly rose to her feet, giving Yazmyn an apologetic look. It wasn't that she wanted to do this. It was that she absolutely had to. It was a once in a lifetime chance. This coin would start everything!
Just as Riina was preparing to leave, she felt a warm grasp around her wrist. Yazmyn had, either consciously or unconsciously, reached out to grab at the coin. Or so Riina suspected. Hair rose on every part of her being, as she pulled her hand to herself, heart hammering so hard in her chest that she could feel it all the way up through her throat. It was borderline forcing her to vomit, but she managed to keep it down. Without any hesitation, Riina went for the door, locked it behind herself, went down the stairs in as quick of a fashion as she could, excused herself to the old woman she was working with, and bolted out the door as fast as her body could carry her. Holy fuck had she just been startled.
Let's unwrite these pages And replace them with our own words
Welcome to Fumehat, I guess... Yazmyn could only think to herself internally as things seemed to have been taken out of her control completely. The Huntress was still struggling with the notion of her consciousness escaping her despite how hard she tried to keep herself awake. Her eyes were shut tight, eyelids refusing to respond to her cry to open the hell up. Her body was no better, denying her mobility altogether. She could barely feel anything. Hell, it was difficult to even breathe and that made her feel like she was about to get a heart attack with how her heart rate begun to slowly rise. Thankfully her mouth was open as somebody picked her up, enabling her some ease of breathing and thus a very slow and painful recovery. Fucking hell, whatever was put in that drink even dulled her nervous system - she couldn't even move the Epilogue beyond just a few simple tugs of her metallic fingers.
Whoa there, Yazmyn. Had a little too much to drink..? I did warn you that it would kick like a mule. Alright then, lets get you to bed. You'll have slept it off by morning.
Damn it, kitten... Yazmyn, at that particular point, could feel nothing but a cold painful sensation course through her, almost like a reality check. She was disappointed. With herself for believing in the kindness of strangers. But more so with Riina, who Yazmyn sincerely thought was just being a nice person with no ulterior motive.
C'est la vie, I suppose.
Before long the blonde Huntress could feel herself being left on something soft, her head lowered on something even softer. Well, gee, at least this girl has the common courtesy of not just leaving me starfish on the ground... the Huntress thought, her mind slowly but surely jotting her awake. This drug, tranquilizer or whatever you wanted to call it, felt strong enough to actually subdue an animal and it likely would've worked on anybody else to full effect. In the case of Yazmyn Noir, though... because of the way life has treated her, at one point in her years she had become an actual animal. No, it was probably more accurate to say that she was forced into becoming one just to survive. Physical and mental abuse wasn't all that the bandits put her through way back when. Drug testing for the shits and giggles was also part of their shenanigans, and tranquilizers fit into that mix. Almost dying does wonders to ramp up one's immune system, as they say.
She heard the conversation Riina was having with herself as she was starting to regain consciousness. Bucket of bolts...? caught her attention. No, that was way too wild a coincidence. It couldn't be. Fuck, who was she kidding. Of course it could. But there would be time to figure that out later. For now, Yazmyn realized that Riina had stolen something. Yazmyn wouldn't have cared if Riina stole her money, her whole wallet - even if she tried to steal her Vanta weapon. She could just get new ones. But her Hunter coin? No, that she could not part ways with. Not with the significance it held. And, as such, the girl forced every nerve ending in her body to move, screaming at herself to wake the fuck up! and move!. Eventually she was able to move her hand and instinctively reached for the young Afflicted, eyes glaring daggers into her as she grit her teeth yet was unable to speak. The blonde Huntress managed to get a hold of her, but with her strength still being somewhere in another solar system she wasn't able to hold on. Riina escaped almost as quickly as Yazmyn fell out of the bed trying to grab hold of her again.
Growling to herself, Yazmyn forced the Epilogue to move and slammed her hand against the ground, cracking the wooden floorboards underneath. "C...come... on... fuck..." She kept growling, eyes wild and beginning to shine crimson with anger. Slowly, whipping up one hell of a storm of a struggle, she managed to stand up, stumbling into a wall and hitting the side of her head against it... "Ow..." Teeth grinding, head spinning, Yazmyn pushed herself off of the wall and hit the door with her shoulder. She tried the knob - wouldn't budge. Fuck, the girl locked it.
Yazmyn was now very well aware that she had very little time to actually do something. With how startled the cat was, she would likely disappear into the shadows. With how little knowledge of Fumehat Yazmyn had it would've been far too much of a pain in the ass to track her down. That sly fucking cat... Furrowing her brows, Yazmyn stuck two fingers into her throat, as deep as she could. It took her about a second before her eyes widened and she left the contents inside her stomach on the wooden tiles. She coughed uneasily as she wiped her mouth, feeling even more dizzy than she was before... yet felt like it had gotten her head back in the game a little. The tranq was already in her blood so it would still linger for a little while, but at the very least it wasn't about to get worse.
Thinking fast, Yaz knew she didn't have the strength to bust the door down just yet. She glanced at the window - the next best thing, especially with how little time she had. Fuck, this was going to hurt.
She breathed in... then out... in again... and she launched herself away from the door and into a sloppy sprint towards the window. Using all of the strength at her disposal, the Huntress slammed her whole body through the glass, ripping it off its hinges as she stumbled in the air and fell onto the ground below, inside a dark alley, hitting a dumpster as she rolled to a halt. Glancing over her shoulder, eyes foggy, she managed to spot Riina dashing along the streets. Her eyes widened again, stomach angry, forcing her to gag. Stomach acid was all that left her throat.
Stumbling, the Huntress managed to stand the fuck up and wobble out of the alley and into the street, noticing the kitty ears in the distance.
"Get... the fuck... back here..." she stammered out lowly, unable to actually yell.
Post by Riina de Bastille on Nov 20, 2019 5:45:32 GMT
WORD COUNT: 811
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
How in the world was that woman still even remotely conscious. How in the world had she not been passed out from now till sometime next week. It baffled the young feline as she locked the door hurriedly. This ought to buy quite a bit of time. There were no other real exits from the room that the blonde could use in her condition. Trying for the window would just be a long unforgiving fall with shards of glass and other unpleasantries. Hurrying down the stairs, she waved her goodevenings to the old matron at the bar, before heading out the door. Trying her best not to seem alarmed or upset, she still caught a few glances from patrons in the bar, wondering precisely why the feline female had such a quick step to her. However, as nothing further happened, they shrugged and returned to their drinking, minding their own business. A trait that, in Fumehat, was practiced almost religiously. People rarely ever gave a shit about anyone else. Unless for very specific reasons. Getting out onto the street, she panted softly, Taking a few deep breaths, her heart was pounding in her chest. It was done, though. The coin was in her posession and the blonde was locked in her room. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Nothing could---
The shattering of glass behind her sent a series of chills through her body. Goosebumps emerged on her skin, as she turned to look. The blonde had quite literally thrown herself out the window to escape. The yellow eyes had a short moment of horror, which quickly changed to determination. Yazmyn was clearly not in any condition to do anything. So if the blonde wanted a can of whoopass, then Riina would happily oblige. Beginning to approach, Riina had intended on walking up to Yazmyn and kicking her once in the face, ending the pursuit then and there. However, before she got that far, there was shouting. T-thief?! M-murderer?! S-s-s-stop! The shout was directed immediately at Riina as she had approached the alley. This, in turn, immediately rose suspicion from the general populace. It didn't take many moments before a pair of enforcers began heading over. With the blonde muttering her curses, claiming to be chasing Riina, it was a done deal. Riina was a criminal and the enforcers were on the case. Biting her lip in frustration, Riina figured the blonde couldn't do much about the situation. So it was a priority to escape the enforcers...
Weaving through the populace, the enforcers had given chase. The commotion followed Riina where she went, creating a rather audible sound-trail for Yazmyn to follow, should she be able to get on her feet properly. As any street urchin of Fumehat would know, there were several ways to escape those pesky enforcers in this city. So Riina sook upwards in Glowcap. Basically creating as large of a distance between the murky swamp below and the enforcers up top. Then, upon rounding a corner, Riina lept out over the side of the railing. The enforcers, not hearing Riina hop out over, rounded the corner and continued moving upwards. Roughly thirty or fifty meters down below, Riina plummeted into the swampy waters... but even that had been planned. Because unlike most, this lower area was a part where she had come quite often. Aside from a couple of leeches almost immediately latching onto her legs, she escaped the waters unscatched. Climbing the ladder which was embedded into the tree, the soaked kitten was making all kinds of unimpressed noises... That coin had better be worth all this trouble.
...Fifteen or so minutes later, Riina had climbed back up unseen, made her way through the lower leves, over to where she had her little hideout. Riina had cut into the tree itself, creating a small pocket which she could reside in. Inside this pocket, she had placed a shipment crate. It was large, sturdy. It had been used to store all sorts of ingredients and wares in the past. Now, it was filled with hay. Sitting down, she used her nails to dig in under the mouths of the leeches, picking them off one by one. The bite marks on her legs would need cleaning at some point... What a pain in the ass...
All of her clothes were discarded just outside the little pocket, so that it could get as much air as possible to dry. Inside the little crate, Riina had climbed in. Exhausted, hungry, overworked and wet, she just wanted to rest for a while. A couple of hours. This was a good hiding spot and, as far as she was aware, no one really knew where she kept quiet. Coin in hand, hand against her chest, the crate top closed over her, she closed her yellow feline eyes. What a messy situation..
Let's unwrite these pages And replace them with our own words
Yazmyn saw Riina approaching her for a very brief moment after she was scrambling to get off of her feet. "What?!" the Huntress growled out, immediately ready for a fight... though how ready really depended on how quickly this stupid tranquilizer would leave her system. At this point she'd probably be pretty easy for Riina to deal with and it infuriated the blonde on so many different levels. Trusting someone, their kindness, only to be used by them and then have something important stolen. Yazmyn was absolutely livid and it showed with how hard she clutched her metal fist, ready to cock it back and slam it into Riina with such force it'd likely send the damn cat flying backwards... if Yazmyn wasn't coked out of her mind, of course.
Ironically somebody shouted something that had been on Yazmyn's mind this whole past sequence. Thief?! The blonde immediately grinned; she was well aware Riina wasn't stupid - she managed to play her like a fiddle, after all - as such she alley cat would know she was at a disadvantage. Even more ironic was the fact that this situation meant that the Enforcers encroaching on Riina were on Yazmyn's side. She never thought the day would come.
With her hand against the wall to support herself, Yazmyn tried to regain her composure. She breathed heavily and quickly, panting and sweating while trying to get her body to normalize itself. "Are you alright, miss...?" A random passerby gently touched her shoulder after noticing the state she was in: pale, exhausted, with bleeding cuts and bruises covering her arm and legs from that previous encounter with the window and the subsequent crash into the glass shard covered concrete. The pain was of little concern and barely felt.
"I'm fine, don't worry about it," Yazmyn shrugged it off, far too engrossed in her own thoughts and anger to properly address the civilian. Heaving a heavy breath, the blonde pushed off of the wall and began stumbling forward. The civilian from before tried to protest this action, attempting to explain to her that she was in no condition to move and that she should let the Enforcers handle this, but Yazmyn would have none of that crap. Her walk forward was excruciatingly slow and clumsy, but it was a start. Soon, said walk would hasten into a stride. Her head was beginning to clear, little by little, and while Yazmyn was still bumping into civilians here and there, offering quiet apologies as she did so, she was beginning to pick up the pace. If Riina was determined, then Yazmyn was more a million times over.
That coin was the one thing she wouldn't let anybody steal.
A burst of fire collected at Yazmyn's feet before she launched herself upwards and grabbed onto a ledge of a two story house with the claws on her metal arm. The girl was still a little slow and struggling but she managed to pull herself up and stand straight. Eyes glazing over towards where Riina was being chased by the Enforcers, she watched the scene through a bird's eye view. She begun following from up above, using her superior positioning and the noise all the commotion was making to her advantage, following the chaos as best she could. The adrenaline now coursing through her system aided with clearing out the toxins from her bloodstream - at least to the point that she regained some semblance of proper mobility. She was still required to rely on her Vel to be able to jump from building to building, but it still had to count for something.
While the Enforcers missed where the cat went, Yazmyn didn't, able to witness the path the cat chose due to having proper positioning. She watched the cat traverse the swamps with a keen eye, crouched down on top of the edge of a building. She was letting Riina create some distance between the two of them, letting the cat believe she had lost her. Yeah, that's right. Drop your guard. When she knew the noises wouldn't alert the feline, Yazmyn jumped and grabbed a vine that she used to swing over the swamp. From one to the next, using her natural agility and her Vel to carry her towards her goal, following the raven-haired girl to the best of her ability.
Then she eventually found her when she landed on the ground with a thud, right in front of a large tree that had seemingly been cut into. Inside it there seemed to be a box - not too large, not too small. Just enough to house an overgrown kitty-cat. Yazmyn had to pause for a brief moment; was this really how that thief lived? She... kind of felt sorry for her, in a way. So much so that some of her anger had actually subsided, just a tad. And when it did, she had a few moments of clarity to herself. Why was Riina after her coin? More importantly, she shouldn't find it surprising that the cat was even out to stab her in the back like she had already considering the way she lived. Everyone's out for themselves, as they say. But back to the previous point:
Why the coin? And what the hell was up with her mentioning a bucket of bolts? It couldn't really be what Yazmyn had a hunch it was, could it? Knowing that asshole Nathan, it could very easily be what she thought it could.
Fuck that guy, honestly.
And then Yazmyn had to consider the way Riina escaped the area. It was honestly kind of sloppy - the girl let her conscience get the better of her. Talking to herself, debating if she was a good or bad person, wasting time... very sloppy. Then to actually try to fight the person who was chasing you when you could've easily saved time and escaped? Even more sloppy, and as a result she had Enforcers on her back. Granted, the way she dove into the swamps was pretty good, but that was only because she knew the territory. In a place where the map was unknown, the girl would've gotten herself captured.
Why was she...? Oh, fuck you Jaeger.
Sighing to herself, Yazmyn just rubbed her eyes tiredly, "Let's get this over with... Oi. Cat. Get out here. And bring me my coin while you're at it."
Post by Riina de Bastille on Nov 21, 2019 10:29:29 GMT
WORD COUNT: 632
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
Riina had curlt up in the hay, tired, exhausted. Everything hurt. That being said, the raven haired feline had gotten precisely what she had gone in for. It was all going to be okay. Slowly slipping into a soft slumber, the warmth of her little hay box began making everything feel a little better. The whole endeavor had gotten slightly messy. Slightly out of hand. Slightly chaotic. The blonde had been more competent with enduring a sedative than Riina had even remotely expected. Either that, or perhaps Riina had been too careful in her dosages because, should the blonde have been allergic or otherwise weak to such substances, Riina wouldn't have wanted to risk killing her. Afterall, she seemed like a fairly nice person. Straight forward and respectful, even if Riina didn't quite enjoy the focus that was on her animalistic traits. Even so, at least it wasn't the same kind of negative attention that she had gotten used to. It was for the same reasons that Riina had only taken the coin she had come in there for. Everything else had been left in the place it belonged. As if that somehow made the act of stealing from Yazmyn any better. If Riina had been able to hear the critique offered by Yazmyn, she likely would've agreed. Being ruthless and cold towards individuals that didn't deserve it, wasn't easy for her. Thats why she had somewhat wished Yaz had just been an asshole. Would've made everything so much easier...
Let's get this over with... Oi. Cat. Get out here. And bring me my coin while you're at it..
Riina would've normally bolted awake. In this situation however, there wasn't a need for speed. With her home discovered, with her being absolutely cornered, there wasn't any urgency to try and escape. There could be several enforcers out there just waiting to nab her. Sighing softly, she rubbed her temples in the little box. How on earth could a singular coin be worth this much trouble, not only for the bucket of bolts, but also this ludicrus blonde. The top of the box was slowly shoved aside. A pair of ears poked out, then an entire head, then the very top of her torso. Revealing a set of bare shoulders, over which her dark hair fell. The girl blinked a couple of times with her yellow feline eyes, stretched, let out a yawn... "...Yeah thats not happening. First, I am not coming out of the box because, as you can see, my clothes are drying on the floor." Riina gestured to the pile of extremely dirty, soggy, wet and muddy clothes that was strewn about the little walkway to dry. "...second, because I need this coin to change my life and get out of this hellhole for good, I don't want to give it back." To Riina, the true value of the coin was completely lost. For what she figured, it was just some kind of heirloom or relic. So, the raven haired feline figured, that if she was more trouble to Yazmyn than the coin was worth, it'd eventually result in the blonde getting really, really annoyed and letting her keep it. "So as you can see, I have the motivation and desire to keep it. Fight for it if I have to. So just do your worst and lets get it over with, as you so aptly put it."
With that, Riina closed the lid on the box again. Yeah, that ought to be about bad enough to make the blonde lose interest. At worst, she might get annoyed and kick her clothes off, down into the swamp below. Which would, in fact, suck, but not as much as parting with the coin would.
Honestly Yazmyn hadn't expected her day to end up like this. Not only was she in a place that she has, so far, felt nothing but utter resentment towards, she was also getting lip from some stuck up kid hiding in a box. Who in the world did she think she was? There she was, a Hunter in her own right, having fought off quite a disastrous 'hangover,' having managed to chase this cat along the streets and swamps during said hangover, and this damn feline had the fucking balls to actually act like an entitled brat in front of her. Okay, maybe entitled wasn't the right word but in what fucking world was it okay to steal something from the other person and immediately call it yours under the assumption that you needed said item more? God this was stupid. Riina was stupid. So, so fucking stupid. The cat was risking what little she already had just so could show Yazmyn how... determined? No, stupid and stubborn she was. If the Huntress wanted to she could burn this entire fucking tree to the ground with the damn box still in it.
The blonde woman sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time this past hour alone. Keeping much of the thoughts she had on what Riina said to herself, she began to slowly approach the box. She slipped out of her long brown leather coat and wordlessly tossed it near the box, leaving it there. This, in turn, left Yazmyn in a sleeveless long black hoodie, revealing the Epilogue as a result, brown leather pants and black boots. Stretching, the girl collected Riina's wet and dirty clothes strewn about on the ground into one hand. She glanced about, mostly focusing upwards towards the branches. She hummed before extending her robotic arm fully. After a quick flick of a mechanism in her palm, a bladed staff, much alike a lance, shot out of it. She gripped it firmly and swiped it upwards once. Six perfectly cut branches fell to the ground right in front of her.
Think I still have some string in my satchel... the Huntress rummaged with the things in her satchel and, just as she had thought, managed to find some hard, sturdy string. Taking a few of the longer branches, she stuck them into the ground, about six feet apart from one another, and tied the string from the end of one branch to the other one. Nodding to herself, she then hung Riina's clothes on the string, leaving it to dry. That should take care of that. Oh Nathan I bet you find this so fucking amusing, giggling somewhere in Vantalux. Asshole. I'll break your fucking dick of a horn when I get back.
She shook her head, expelling any and all thoughts of Jaeger that she might have lest she allowed her carefree persona to fade a little. Taking two more branches, Yazmyn neatly broke them into tinier pieces and set them on the ground, close to the rack of clothing, circling it with large rocks. Then she grabbed a few leaves from Riina's tree and placed them on top of the branches. Crouching down, Yazmyn inspected her handiwork before bringing her left arm close to the branches. She then proceeded to snap her fingers and activate her Vel for a brief moment, creating a spark that set the leaves on fire. Small at first, the flame began to gradually strengthen as the blonde Huntress carefully blew at it, creating a small fireplace. She stood up again and nodded to herself. Alright, now for food.
Taking her staff into her right hand, Yazmyn then casually walked over to the swamp. She dug into her satchel once more and rummaged inside it for a few brief moments until she found what she was looking for. Specialized fishing bait in the form of two pills. She tossed them into the murky swamp waters and just waited patiently having sunk into a hip. One minute. Two. Three... she began seeing movement. Raising her spear just above her head, ready to strike at any given moment, the blonde Huntress slowly walked into the water, thankful for her boots being waterproof. Gotta love Hunter gear. Focus through the roof now that the tranquilized had mostly left her system and left her with all of her senses intact, Yazmyn acted quickly. One stab. Two. Three. Four... and when she lifted her weapon, four sizeable fish were skewered on it, still fidgeting.
Remaining silent, the blonde went back to the makeshift fireplace, the four fish now in her hand. She left them near the fireplace before cleaning off her spear and returning it within her metallic arm. Plopping down on a rock in front of the warm fire, she pulled out her hunting knife and went to work on the fish, one by one. First she carefully ran the blade along the fish to remove the scales. Then, turning it, she inserted the tip of the blade into the tail end of the fish's belly and began cutting up, towards the head. Then it was time to get her fingers dirty, and as such she opened the fish up, scooping out its innards, bone and membrane. Carefully, almost meticulously. Then, finally, she cut off the heads and the dorsal fins. She then pulled out her flask - the one with actual drinking water in it (yes she had two) - and washed the insides.
After all four fish were cleaned and prepared, Yazmyn took the two remaining branches and broke them in half, making four smaller ones. Two she stuck at either side of the fire, while the other two she sharpened the edges and skewered the fish once more. Inspecting how well it worked, she nodded to herself and placed the fish just above the fire, carefully spinning it with her fingers so they ended up cooked. Nice and crispy.
By now the raven-haired girl probably noticed the smell.
"My coat's by your box. Put it on so you're not buck ass naked and cold. Come over here, fish is almost ready. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Just want to talk."
Post by Riina de Bastille on Nov 22, 2019 4:34:14 GMT
WORD COUNT: 1018
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
What immediately followed their little confrontation was a complete silence. There had been no replies by the blonde, no significant movements that the cat eared female could catch, nor had there been any shuffling with the box. It was all quite suspicious, but the girl could only shrug and assume that, to Yazmyn, this hadn't been worth the trouble, just as Riina had initially predicted. Riina could not hear anything outside, until the sound of wood being impacted startled her. Quietly lifting the lid of the box, she tried to peek outside. Unwilling to open the box up wide, the information she could gather was pretty limited. Though, from what she could tell, the blonde was derping around out there doing something. A few additional moments passed where Riina was simply watching the proceedings, unable to really gather what in the world was going on. The blonde wasn't being cruel, or mean, or attempting to take the coin back by force. On the flipside she also hadn't left Riina alone, or gone about her business. No, there she was, doing odd things with string, twigs and some stones. Scratching her head confused, when Yazmyn had created a contained fire and left, she returned to the bottom of her box. What in the world was going on. None of this made any sense...
Curling up, attempting not to think about it, Riina failed spectaculary. Running her fingers over the small bites left behind from the leeches, the bruises left from the last encounter with enforcers, all the other soft damages to her body, she was nervous. Not entirely sure why, but the girl was nervous. Normally, the raven haired female knew what to expect. In fact, she often acted in specific ways to make sure she knew relatively what would happen. Now she had a humming dumb blonde doing... Sniff... doing... sniff sniff.That was fish. Fish being roasted and toasted over a fire. There was no scent of any kind of herbs, so the fish would probably mainly taste like, well, fish and firewood. That being said, for a hungry kitten, it was more than an appropriate meal to garner attention...
That's about when an invitation was spoken from the blonde. An invitation to come out of the box. Tilting the lid backwards, the tiny feline female grabbed the coat and wrapped it around herself. It only covered her torso, and just below her hips. Good enough to keep her covered, but nothing more than that. It also revealed all the bruises and leech bites up her legs, as she stepped out of the box in a slow, cautious fashion. Tap, tap, tap. The sound of the girl's bare feet stepping over the wooden walkway, as she sat down by the fire, shivering from the cold. Tilting and shifting her head, she was looking at all the different machinations and impromptu creations which Yazmyn had created out here. Riina wanted to scoff a little at it. Hunter techniques, no doubt. Yet she couldn't, because at the end of the day, all of this was done as a gesture of good will. A token of a temporary peace. It had caught the feline off guard entirely. Wiggling her toes towards the flame, she was trying to catch back some heat. Still not saying a word, not looking at Yazmyn, the coin was in her fingers, tugged against her chest...
Riina didn't want to give up on her chance at getting out of there. So many times in the past ten years had she been forced to give up on what she wanted. On occasion it was because she had been too scared to seize the opportunity. On others she hadn't had the heart to step on others to climb to new heights, it wasn't how she was raised. Most of the time however, the girl was barred from having a chance to begin with, as others sabotaged her attempts. The last time there had been an enforcer signup course, she was denied on the pure principle that she had been caught doing lawless things. The vagrant firms weren't too pleased with the concept of having her protect their things. In the hunter trials, she had essentially been viewed as one of the wild animals that they were meant to defeat out in the wilderness, and thus used somewhat as a demonstration of how to track a bewildered beast, rather than actually participating in the trials. It never worked out. So what other options did she have left, than going down the lawless path? Riina needed to get out of this predicament, no matter the cost... Somewhere, deep in her mind, she knew that staying like she was for too much longer, would lead to nothing but an unsatisfying death.
"It really was nothing personal, you know. I just cannot keep on living like this... and my prospects of surviving as a Hunter are much better than accepting mercenary work... or being a sleazy scumbag like those assassins and what not." Riina broke the silence, digging her head into her knees, letting her hair fall over her legs closer to the flame, so that it could dry up a little faster. The tone in her voice was clear, though. Please, don't try to make me give up. Giving up is the same as dying. The whole demeanor and atmosphere around Riina had changed. Perhaps because she had realized there was no way out of this that didn't favor Yazmyn. It was a lost cause. Even so, she was determined to struggle, even if she knew that she had absolutely no chance of winning. It was as if Riina stated, that she would rather get beaten to a complete pulp and lose the coin as a matter of her own ineptitude, than accept the strike to her mentality. It was as if the pain and damage from giving up willingly, would hurt far more than the physical pain she'd suffer through if the two of them came to blows. In an odd way, all Riina was doing, was trying to survive.
Yazmyn's head rose when she heard Riina crawl out of her box. The feline made her presence known relatively quickly after Yazmyn invited her and the girl promptly took a seat. The blonde Huntress's eyes immediately took notice of the bites and bruises on the girl's bare legs, frowning a little at the sight. She remained in silence, remembering what Riina had said moments prior to Yazmyn whipping up this whole campsite. I need this coin to change my life and get out of this hellhole for good. I just cannot keep on living like this... and my prospects of surviving as a Hunter are much better than accepting mercenary work... or being a sleazy scumbag like those assassins and what not. Those words made the blonde consider a wide plethora of things, not to mention the whole mention of a bucket of bolts... which by now Yazmyn reckoned was a clear mention of Jaeger, the actual scumbag in this scenario.
Where did he get off filling the head of this girl with dumb ideas? From what she could reason using the information that she had, Jaeger and this girl had some kind of a connection. What it was or how it was made she had no idea, nor did she really care, all things considered. What she could surmise, though, was that he had somehow convinced this girl that stealing Yazmyn's coin would effectively assist Riina with becoming a Hunter, which was a false idea altogether. If this had been anyone other than Yazmyn, this girl would've been gutted on the street.
Then again it was probably because this was Yazmyn that Jaeger did what he did. Stupid bastard. That was the whole reason he told her to go to Fumehat in the first place, wasn't it? Stupider bastard. It was clear that he saw something in this feline but to impose her on Yazmyn through manipulating her was definitely going to earn him a punch across the noggin once she came back to Vantalux.
With one look at the younger girl the Huntress could definitely tell she hadn't had an easy go at life. She didn't know the cat's circumstances nor did they really matter at this particular point. With society being what it was today, the kitty ears and a tail sure as shit didn't earn her any points despite how utterly cute they were. People were scumbags and having just seen Riina in her clothes made that painfully apparent. The girl didn't look much more than a street urchin. Look being the key word. From what Yazmyn could tell, the girl actually had a heart, what with her whole reservation of stealing the coin in the first place, that inner monologue she had with herself when Yazmyn was borderline out cold, and now with what looked like remorse and guilt as she tried to warm herself up... let alone the desire to do what she had to do to get out of the shit situation she found herself in. It was a respectable trait, Yazmyn had to give her that, though with an attitude like hers Riina could've gotten herself killed, the moronic brat.
And that's not even mentioning her skills - something which Riina obviously had, at least in terms of movement. She was able to maneuver the area she knew so well to such a degree that she managed to lose a couple of Enforcers - move through the crowd unseen even if people were making a ruckus and calling her out for being a thief. Hell, Yazmyn herself - a Hunter in her own right - had struggled a little to find her, despite being drugged out. Nice, touch, by the way. The drug part was definitely effective and likely had been if the Huntress wasn't who she was and hadn't gone through the shit that she had.
"You know," Yazmyn began, lavender orbs staring at the flame of the fireplace, reflecting the orange glow as though through glass. "That coin doesn't look like much, but it's pretty special." Reaching into her satchel, the blonde Huntress pulled out a small wooden container. Slowly, not to arouse suspicion or to scare her off, Yazmyn approached Riina and crouched down near her legs. Opening the canister, she revealed that it was a special healing ointment made using a mixture of different herbs found in the Outlands. She extended her metal arm above the fireplace so the metal wasn't cold to the touch. "You mind?" She asked, gesturing to her wounded legs and, without waiting for an answer, gently touched one with the Epilogue. The touch, after having been heated by the fire, would be warm, maybe even jolt the kitten from her stupor due to the contrast to the weather itself.
Holding her leg in place, Yazmyn then stuck two of the fingers from her healthy hand into the container to scoop up a good amount of ointment before beginning to carefully apply it to all the leech bites. "To us Hunters, the coin shows who we are. It's our legacy, I guess you could say. And the legacy we carry of the Hunters that came before us. That coin? That coin was passed down from the very first Hunters that existed... what... four hundred and something years ago? It went down the Hunter line. Passed on from master to apprentice, on and on and on... until it was given to me by Jaeger," she glanced up at Riina after having said this, smiling at the revelation that must've been coursing through the feline's head. "I'm not sure what he's told you, kitten, but that coin is not your way into the Hunters, nor will it ever be. By itself the coin means nothing - just a lost something some other Hunter will probably try to take from you once they realize you have no real connection to them. We keep what's ours, y'know? To me, though? You saw the blood; saw you wiping it clean - thanks, by the way. I uhm... yeah, to me that coin means a lot more than just some random trinket." The sincerity could be heard from Yazmyn's voice, ridden with guild and sadness, almost sounding melancholic for a brief moment.
Once she was done with one leg, she went to the other.
"You said this coin would change your life. How? What has that moron promised you?"
